For school districts that don’t have their own high schools, families choose which schools their kids attend. But as school boards look for ways to save money, limiting school choice might be an answer. Education Commissioner Armando Vilaseca discusses how school choice affects educational equity and the economics of operating schools. We also hear from former Rutland superintendent Bill Mathis, and Retta Dunlap of Vermonters for Better Education.
Also in the program, Tal Birdsey started a private middle school in Ripton as an alternative to what he calls standardized education. Birdsey discusses his new book, A Room for Learning: The Making of a School in Vermont, which chronicles the school’s first year.